The Delivery Boy and the Delivery Apprentice
by Diaphanous
Summary: Four years ago, an immortal Cloud Strife rescued a young Sephiroth. Now he has taken Zack Fair under his wing and awakened Vincent Valentine. It was time to end Jenova and Hojo once and for all. A better future is in reach and Cloud is going to take it.


**The Delivery Boy and the Delivery Apprentice**

The sequel to _The Time Traveling Deliver Boy_. Can be read as a **Stand Alone** one-shot.

You just need to know that a goddess has reset the Planet back in time with an immortal Cloud Strife from six hundred years after the events of FFVII: AC to make a new future.

**Disclaimer**: No own FFVII…

**000**

Sephiroth snarled his frustration. He swung his long sword only to miss his guardian. His glowing green eyes flashed and his slit pupils narrowed even further. He slid his feet into a firmer stance. He exhaled to calm himself. The sixteen-year-old launched himself forward from his back foot. His blade flashed in the weak winter sun of the Northern Continent's mountain range. It was all for naught for he was easily blocked.

"You don't charge aggressively enough," Cloud Strife scolded. The two blades of their swords were locked across each other. The blond man pushed forward. "Make use of your frustration," he lectured. "Channel it with that control of yours!" He let out a war cry and, with a burst of Mako-enhanced strength, the immortal time-traveler sent his protégé spiraling into the deep snow. "Again."

Sephiroth struggled to his feet. "Yes," he replied. He arranged himself into an aggressive stance and charged once more. Another clang and his long sword and the First Tsurugi base sword met with a vibration of pure violence.

"Better, but not good enough!" Cloud kicked out and landed his foot squarely into Sephiroth's stomach. The teen skidded back and fell to his knees. "Again," the blond man ordered. "Again and again until you can stop me."

"Yes," Sephiroth grunted. He got up on wobbly legs but straightened up by sheer determination. He would learn how to wield a blade perfectly. Hojo would die by his blade and his alone. And the only path to accomplish such a feat was through Cloud's lessons. "I'll keep going forever!"

Cloud smiled. "Good," he said. And this time it was he who charged forward. Sephiroth let out a startled squawk at the routine change and scrambled to defend himself. "That's how you charge aggressively."

Sephiroth bared his teeth in an almost smile that looked like a grimace. "Yes," he groaned against the strain of keeping the stronger man at bay. He lashed out with a kick to Cloud's stomach to give himself a brief reprieve. He held up his sword defensively. "Again!"

"Even better," Cloud laughed. He launched himself across the meager distance where Sephiroth had kicked him to ward the older swordsman off.

CLANG! The swords met again.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

"We're leaving?" Sephiroth asked. They were sitting with the Sage by the fire. The old man was muttering himself about Zeio Nuts and the red monster. "Cloud?"

Cloud looked up from his hot coffee. "Yes, we've stayed at the Sage's long enough," he answered. He took a sip of his drink and then addressed the Sage. "We're leaving tomorrow." The reluctant immortal waited patiently for the Sage's reply.

"Hmm? What, leaving? I can't leave… or can I? I can't remember…"

"No, no, we, as in Seph and I, are leaving tomorrow at dawn," Cloud pointed out as if he were talking to a child.

"Ah, that's good. Good…" The Sage nibbled on his pipe. "Leave at dawn."

"So glad we have your permission," Sephiroth muttered with a roll of his eyes. He ducked under Cloud's scolding smack. "Sorry."

"No, you're not," the blond said with a laugh. "Good night, Sage."

"Is it night? I can't remember…"

**000**

Fenrir barked and ran in circles around the Gold chocobo, Goldy. The giant hen warked in annoyance and pecked the wolf motorcycle on the head. Immediately the wolf yelped and transformed into his pup form. He scrambled for the safety of his Alpha and his Beta. Goldy fluffed her feathers and walked over to her nearly grown chick that was to be Sephiroth's mount. The young, tall Gold, properly named Kinkaku, was preening himself to prepare for having a saddle on and let his mother join.

Cloud snorted. "That's what you get for messing with her," he announced to the motorcycle. Fenrir-pup huffed. "Don't make that face. You know better than to mess with Goldy, you metal mutt." Fenrir growled at the insult.

"Don't bother, Fenrir," Sephiroth piped up. "You know that Cloud's right." He ignored the pup's whine. "No, I don't feel sorry for you. And yes, we're bringing them. They can cross oceans; you can't." The teen whistled and chirped for Kinkaku. The bird obediently came. "Come on, boy. Time to put on your saddle." Unlike Cloud, Sephiroth preferred riding with a saddle on a chocobo. Cloud only had the saddlebags and the bit and reins. Of course, the blond man knew perfectly how to saddle a chocobo; he just didn't like saddle usage.

"Fenrir, come." Cloud picked up the pup by the scruff of his neck. He placed him into the specially made bag slung with the saddlebags to hold the wolf in mini-form. Goldy whistled a warning, which was answered by a growl. "Knock it off, you two. I will not play mediator for you." The Gold hen warked an apology. Fenrir laid back his ears and bared his throat as best he could in his popped up position in the bag. "Good. Sephiroth, are you tightening the straps right?"

"Yes, Cloud," Sephiroth said with a long-suffering sigh. He tightened the last one and whistled another command to Kinkaku. The young Gold lowered himself and spread his wings. The teenaged boy mounted and the war-bird stood up. He did an odd shrugging motion to settle his master more comfortably onto the saddle. Sephiroth calmly took it in stride. "Ready!" he called. He watched as Cloud mounted Goldy in nearly the same manner but without the saddle. "Can we go now? The sun has just popped up over the horizon."

"Yes, let's go."

**000**

Bone Village at night was an odd sight. The bleached bones that gave the village its name made for a spooky atmosphere. Sephiroth was bowed over his chocobo in exhaustion from the day's ride over the mountains. The speed that Gold chocobos were capable of was still disconcerting even after he had taken his first ride on Goldy before Cloud had found her a temporary mate from near Icicle Village to breed Kinkaku.

"We'll stop here for the night and leave across the ocean at dawn back to at least the Materia Cave north of North Corel," Cloud said. He whistled and Goldy let him dismount. He then grabbed the sleeping Fenrir from his pouch. Sephiroth tiredly dismounted as well. Kinkaku let out a worried warble and nudged at his master. It was obvious to him that his entire flock was tired.

"It's okay, Kinkaku," Sephiroth said soothingly. "We just need to sleep. Wake us up at dawn." He patted the bird's neck. He watched as Cloud set up their only tent.

"Sephiroth, go to the headman of the village and pay him for this spot," Cloud said. He tossed the teen a 200-gil piece. "That should cover it."

"Okay. Stay here with your mother, Kinkaku." The silver-haired teen climbed down the ladder to go to the headman. It was going to be a short rest tonight and a long day tomorrow.

**000**

"Don't touch that!" Cloud snapped at Sephiroth. The teen abruptly pulled back his hand from the natural developing Materia. He looked at his guardian questioningly. "Just don't, okay?" The blond man rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Ye Gods, this trip is getting ridiculous."

"Cloud, when will we arrive at Gongaga?" Sephiroth purposely forgot his guardian's outburst.

"If we just exclusively ride the chocobos, we'll be at Gongaga is a couple days, if the weather is willing," the older swordsman answered. "Just set up your sleeping area and go to sleep. Come morning we ride non-stop."

Sephiroth sighed and nibbled on a bit of jerky.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

"Cloud, the jungle is on fire!" Sephiroth shouted.

"They must have put in the faulty reactor early…" Cloud muttered. His protégé looked at him in horror. The blond shook himself from his reverie. "FUCK!" He jumped off of the indignant Goldy and grabbed Fenrir by the scruff of his puppy neck. The motorcycle let out a startled yelp. "FENRIR, TRANSFORM!" The wolf knew that tone of voice all too well and flashed into his metal form. "SEPHIROTH STAY HERE!"

"But the people…"

"I NEED YOU HERE AS BACK-UP!" Cloud snarled. He mounted onto his motorcycle. "HAVE YOUR PHS ON!"

Sephiroth nodded. He watched Cloud zoom off from the hills and straight into the jungle. "Be safe… Cloud."

**000**

The sky rained fire. People were running around and screaming in agony or fear. Cloud ignored all of that in favor of getting to the left cul-de-sac where the Fair household resided. Fenrir ran by his side. The bright painted houses were on fire or smashed by smoldering chunks of exploded Mako-reactor. A child was screaming and Cloud, with terror in his heart, knew that voice too well. Zack. Nine-years-old and too precocious for his own good, Zackary Fair. "ZACK!" Cloud screamed for his godson. "MARIE!" he called for Zack's mother and his friend of this timeline as well. He heard Zack scream again, this time Cloud's name and title of uncle. "Fenrir, stay here! I'M COMING, ZACK!"

Cloud crashed through the door. Flames danced in his face. But Cloud was SOLDIER-made, though not a true SOLDIER in any sense other than his enhancements and the experiments that had been performed on his body over six-hundred years ago in his old timeline. He just simply went through the hellfire. With his unnatural strength he hurled away burning debris. All the while he screamed for Zack. He ended up in the master bedroom. His heart seized in his chest at the sight of Marie Fair curled on the floor with a collapsed wooden beam crushing her.

"CLOUD!" Zack wept from beside his mother. "UNCLE CLOUD! HELP MAMA!" It was obvious that the woman had shoved the boy out of the way. The roar of the savage Mako fires vibrated in the air. The house shuddered in warning of its pending collapse.

The immortal slid to the floor by Marie. "Marie…" His gloved hand gently brushed against her exposed cheek. There wasn't a sound from her lips. She was gone. The woman who had loved him but he couldn't love in return was gone. "Marie!" But this was no time for grief. He had to at least save one. He had promised to take care of them. Even though he couldn't save her; he could save Zack. "Zack, time to go."

"BUT!"

"No!" Cloud snarled. The boy looked at him in horror. "Your mama's gone, Zacky. She saved you and now I have to get you out of here. She made me promise that if anything happened to her, I would take care of you."

Zack looked at him with tears running down his face. But the boy, obviously older than he was four years ago, stood up on shaky legs. The back part of the master bedroom crashed in and Cloud swung his godson into his arms. "Don't leave me, Uncle Cloud," Zack whispered against the blond man's throat. He wrapped his arms around his godfather's neck. "Don't leave me!"

"Never," Cloud vowed. He didn't look back as he crashed out of the house. He didn't look back as the Fair Home collapsed onto itself. He couldn't look back for if he did, the immortal swordsman would have screamed. How many people did he have to fail in his lifetime? How many?

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

Sephiroth walked with Kinkaku's reins held steadily in his hands. In the chocobo's saddle was the slumped and exhausted form of Zackary Fair. The silver-haired teen remembered the small boy who had been so full of life and laughter four years ago. But now… now Zack had the same dull eyes that Cloud had when he was thinking too hard about something bad. He knew of grief, and so he recognized its darkness in the younger boy's violet gaze. Mrs. Fair was gone from this life now. That made Zack an orphan, a status that Sephiroth wished he could take on instead of the boy. He shook his head of the thought. Too bad Cloud had let Hojo live…

"Don't think like that," the teen whispered to himself. He glanced behind him at the swaying, sleeping Zack. "It's not fair."

"No, it's not," Cloud whispered back. He too was leading his chocobo by her reins. "I should have been there, dammit." He sighed. "I should have…"

"But you didn't know!" Sephiroth hissed, mindful that Zack was sleeping in the saddle.

"Yes, I did!" Cloud growled. "I knew but I was too busy being stupid and forgetful and…"

"And how did you know?" the younger swordsman asked. "How did you know that the reactor would explode?"

"…but it was the wrong time, too early…" Cloud continued as if he never heard his protégé. "How could I have been so stupid?"

"CLOUD!" Sephiroth almost shouted. "What in the hell are you talking about? Is this one of your secrets that you still refuse to tell me?"

This time Cloud did pay attention to the teen. He looked at him with startled, glowing eyes. "What?"

"Do you remember my vow? To learn everything there is about you, even the down to the size of your underwear? Remember four years ago, after you rescued me and told me about Lucrecia?"

"I'll find out what you're hiding. I'll find out everything about you, all the way down to your underwear size!"

"Yes," Cloud answered as he swept away the memory. "Yes, I remember, you little perv." He reluctantly grinned at the way Sephiroth blushed in the dark. "I did promise to tell you, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Sephiroth pointed out despite his embarrassment at being called a pervert. "And I'm not a perv, you jerk." He grunted at the almost silent chuckle his guardian let out. "Anyway, where are we headed? Other than just north."

Cloud shrugged. "Nibelheim," he said blithely.

"What?!"

"Calm down, you'll wake up Zack. Anyway, there's something I want to get in the Shinra Mansion basement. Or rather, there is someone."

"W… who is that?" Sephiroth asked warily.

"He knew your mother."

That statement shut Sephiroth up.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

The dreams were dark and twisted, which was the norm. Ragged, blurred shadows screamed within his mind. Laughter like jagged glass ripped at his consciousness. The glint of elongated fangs haunted his every thought. The roar of a chainsaw tore at his split soul. The howl of a tortured beast clawed at his heart. Agony…. Agony…

All was lost in this hell.

Vincent Valentine did not wish to escape his punishment.

He had failed _her_.

**000**

Sephiroth jackknifed up in his bedroll. His glowing green eyes blindly searched the darkness. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He raised a shaky hand to his forehead. The fading echoes of his strange nightmare still bounced around in his consciousness. A soothing voice, not Jenova's but still feminine in cadence, hummed softly as if chasing away the hellish images within his head. Was that the Planet's voice? No, it couldn't be.

The silver-haired teen banished the gentle humming and his nightmare from the forefront of his mind. He slowly opened his eyes to peer into the night. The dying embers of the campfire drew his gaze. He stared blankly at the coals that barely glowed. He glanced up among the stars to see the position of the moon. It was low in the west, which meant that sunrise was close enough. Sephiroth sighed and laid back down. He wouldn't go back to sleep but he could meditate. Rest was rest after all.

**000**

The gloomy horizon of the Nibel Mountains made Sephiroth feel uneasy. At the foot of the mountains was the awful village where he had been created. Like mercury-induced dreams, the faint, green memories of that place made his heart shudder in agony. The silver-haired teen grasped at his t-shirt above his heart. In his other hand he held his chocobo's reigns. He and Zack were kneeling quietly in the grasslands that surrounded the Nibel area. Kinkaku, who was sitting in the grasses by his mother, cooed softly to him. Goldy smacked her chick with her wing in reprimand for the unwanted noise. Both chocobos tucked their heads under their wings. They too had to hide in the grass.

"Why do we have to wait in the grasses, Sephiroth?" Zack asked quietly. He was holding onto the back of teen's shirt with shaky fingers. The younger boy did not like the fact that Cloud had forced them to stay hidden in the tall grass off of the road that led to Nibelheim.

"It's not safe for us to go into the village," Sephiroth mumbled back. Whisperings that were not Jenova's voice told him of a man with four great powers locked away. He exhaled noisily and forced the mutterings from his mind. He had no wish to listen to voices that refused to identify themselves. He had to deal with blocking Jenova from his head thanks to Cloud's warning and subsequent training. And he wondered, should he tell Cloud about these voices? Would Cloud get angry? Would he… hate him? Sephiroth's breath hitched. No, Cloud wasn't supposed to hate him because… because…

"Look! It's Cloud with some weird guy in a red cape!" Zack hissed and pointed his finger. Sure enough, Cloud was indeed walking on the road slowly with a man dressed in black leather with a crimson cape. But the nine-year-old stayed kneeling in the grass. They had orders to wait until their guardian whistled for them. Still, the boy fidgeted.

"Steady, Zack," Sephiroth muttered. Cloud put a hand to his mouth and whistled. Goldy quickly jerked to her feet and warbled for her master. "Go on," the teen said. Zack let out a whoop and scurried onto the road. Sephiroth slowly stood up and Kinkaku followed suit. In a more sedate manner, swordsman and chocobo exited the grass and stepped onto the road. The black-haired boy was clinging to Cloud's waist in obvious distress. Sephiroth was more worried about the stranger amongst their midst. Who was this man? He jerked his shoulders in surprise when his glowing green eyes made contact with the mysterious man's crimson eyes, eyes that glowed like his.

"Lucrecia's son…" the man breathed in surprise.

"Who are you?" the young swordsman asked. He ignored the way Cloud observed his interaction with the stranger. He also ignored the fact that one of the man's arms was actually a golden claw that matched his golden boots. Sephiroth just simply needed to know who this man was and his connection to his birth mother Lucrecia. "Well?"

The black and crimson clad man bowed. "I am called Vincent Valentine. Please, let me stay by your side… Sephiroth."

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

Cloud sighed softly. He stared at Vincent with calm, blue eyes. The gunman steadily stared back. Sephiroth was a few yards away, showing Zack how to care for a chocobo and using Kinkaku as an example. The four were in the grasslands just beyond Costa Del Sol. The blond swordsman wanted to get on a boat for Junon. He had a promise with Vincent to keep. Cloud was finally headed for Midgar for one last final piece of business. He wanted to kill Hojo and he knew that the crimson-eyed man wanted a piece.

"Tell me, Strife. When are you going to explain how you know about myself and…" Vincent pointedly looked at Sephiroth, "and Lucrecia's son?" he asked.

"He has a name and you know it," Cloud said. "You should refer to him as such."

The gunman inclined his head. "Yes, I see." He was silent for a moment then spoke. "Who are you, Cloud Strife?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Vincent Valentine. I never did get a straight answer before."

Vincent narrowed his eyes. "I have never met you before," he said suspiciously.

Cloud smirked at him. "Let's just say that it was in a previous life," he replied. He stood up and dusted off the back of his pants. "We should get going. I know someone at Fort Condor that can keep an eye on Zack and Sephiroth while you and I go to Midgar."

"I highly doubt that Sephiroth would approve of getting left behind," Vincent pointed out. "I do believe that he wants to take down Hojo just as badly as you and me."

The blond grimaced. "He's not ready to kill just yet."

"He needs to start sometime. He is a warrior; you saw to that." The former Turk examined his golden claws. "Sephiroth is a warrior like us. And his blade is thirsty for Hojo. I see it every time he spars with you."

"I don't want to leave Zack alone. He's just lost his mother after all."

"We've all lost someone, Cloud. I can see that, in particular, you've lost everyone."

Cloud jerked his head away to stare at Sephiroth and Zack. "But I've gained others, Vincent. Can I say the same for you?"

Vincent was silent.

**000**

"You're taking me with you," Sephiroth announced. "I won't get left behind."

Cloud ignored Vincent's smug expression. "Someone needs to take care of Zack," he said. The said boy stared at the two arguing swordsmen sullenly. All that he knew was that Cloud was leaving again even after promising not to. Fenrir leaned against the boy in an effort to comfort him.

"I want to kill Hojo!"

"So eager to stain your blade red, aren't you?"

Sephiroth flinched. "N… no, that's not it," he denied hesitantly.

"Then what is it?"

The teen clenched his hands into tight fists. "He's a monster… He's tortured me, experimented on me, everything."

"He's done the same to me," Cloud said. Sephiroth jerked his head up in surprise. Even raised his eyebrows at the new information about the blond. "A lifetime ago, Hojo stole me and used me. He took away everything by creating one person that led to my ultimate nightmare." The blond man looked away. "I still bear those scars. And it's the same for Vincent. We understand what you feel."

"Then why? Why won't you let me go with you to kill Hojo?"

"Because… because…"

"He doesn't want you to be like himself," Vincent supplied succinctly. He ignored Cloud's despairing glare. "He doesn't want you stained like him… like me. You're still pure but with a single sword stroke you could destroy what is left of your innocence."

"I'm not a child anymore. I deserve this much. I want to see Hojo's face when he sees his own experiment destroying everything he worked for. I want to hear his death rattle, his final gurgle. How do these desires make me innocent?"

"They don't," Cloud said in horror. He laughed sardonically. "You're right. Yes, you deserve that much."

"So you'll leave me," Zack finally piped up. "You'll all leave me! I hate you!" The boy ran to one of the lower rooms of Fort Condor. Fenrir laid his ears flat against his skull at the tension the boy left behind. The wolf-motorcycle whined.

Cloud looked at the doorway where Zack left with a stricken expression on his immortal face. Vincent sighed. "Go to him and explain, Cloud," the ex-Turk urged. "He needs his godfather to explain to him."

"Yes," Cloud said dazedly. He followed.

**000**

Zack Fair was curled up in the corner of the room. He stared at the floor. He was always being left behind because he was little. And first Papa left, then Mama, and now Cloud and Sephiroth, and that weird man in black and red. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. It wasn't fair. He wanted to be big and strong too. He wanted to know how to fight.

"Zack…" Cloud knelt in front of the boy. "Zack please…"

"No, you'll just leave anyway," Zack said. "You always leave, Uncle Cloud. What if you never come back? You always leave and you might not come back. What then? WHAT THEN?" He tried to resist when Cloud picked him up. He struggled and squirmed. "I HATE YOU!" he bellowed. "YOU'RE ALWAYS LEAVING! YOU LEFT US! YOU LEFT MAMA TO DIE!" When Zack heard Cloud sob into his hair, the child realized the cruel thing that he had said. He knew that Cloud hadn't meant for that the happen. Shame and guilt welled up in his throat. Through his godfather's weeping, Zack tried to take back his cruel words. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, Uncle Cloud!" He continued to chant his apologies. He gripped at the blond man's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" He paused and heard that Cloud was chanting the exact same words back to him.

Zack and Cloud held each other tightly. Cloud swore to himself he would keep Zack by his side. Zack, Vincent, and Sephiroth... they were his and his alone.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

There was a voice in the wind. Zack Fair tilted his head to the side. His ears strained hear the words dancing in the air. Something was calling to him. But who? After all, Uncle Cloud and the other two had only been gone for a few days. So who could be calling hima? He glanced at his snoozing, Fort Condor caretaker and then dove into the grasslands. Fenrir woofed at him and followed. His Alpha would kill him if anything happened to the boy.

An hour passed but still Zack kept on. Then he stopped and stared. A glowing, green lady was sitting on a rock by a small stream. Her long hair was tied high on her head and fell to her waist in a thick braid. Zack didn't know this strange woman. Yet he felt like he should know her…

"Hello Zack," her voice came without her lips moving.

"Mama and Uncle Cloud said I shouldn't talk to strangers," Zack said in reply to her greeting. He took a creeping step closer. "Who are you?"

"A long time ago, the world was different."

"Huh?"

"But time was reversed and rewound. The only one that didn't change was your Uncle Cloud. He came back to this time to right what was wrong." The lady stood up. "Zack, your godfather is not what he seems, timeless, ageless. But he's a good man who loves you dearly." She bent down so that they were eye to eye. "He needs you and you need him." She smiled at the wary Fenrir. The motorcycle backed down. He knew an Alpha when he saw one. Plus he knew her and remembered her ghost from many moons ago. She would not harm his charge.

"What about Sephiroth and Mr. Vincent?" Zack forgot the fact that he didn't know this woman. She knew about Uncle Cloud's past, something that no one knew.

"Yes, he needs them as well and they need him and you. The moment Cloud intimately touched your lives was the moment you were bound to him."

"I don't understand."

The green, glowing lady with the braid smiled prettily. "You will someday. Tell me, Zack. Do you want to be with Cloud and Sephiroth and Mr. Vincent forever?"

"Yes, forever and ever." Zack nodded his head to himself. "Uncle Cloud never ages, you know. Does that mean he's going to live forever?"

"Yes. Do you want that? To be with him forever?" she asked.

The boy thought about it, tapping his chin in thought. "But will Sephiroth and Mr. Vincent live forever too?" he wondered.

"Yes."

"It's because of that bad man that Uncle Cloud calls Hojo, huh?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I don't get it though. How will I live forever with them if nasty, old. Hojo doesn't experiment on me like Uncle Cloud and Sephiroth and Mr. Vincent?"

"The Planet owes Cloud much, no matter the fact that she doesn't want to pay him back."

"That's not very nice. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"In a year, I'm going to be absorbed by my younger, alive self. Through the last of my power before that happens I can make you live forever. Are you sure you want this?"

"I don't have anyone else," Zack stated. "I want to be with Uncle Cloud and Sephiroth and even creepy Mr. Vincent because he's really nice even though he has a gold claw and he wears a lot of red and…"

"Okay, okay," the lady laughed. Then she sobered too quickly for Zack's taste. "It will be painful."

"That's okay." He tilted his head to the side and stared at her. "By the way, what's your name, lady?"

"I'm Aeris. Try not to scream." She reached out with a single hand.

Zack crossed his eyes and screamed. Fenrir howled in worried accompanyment.

**000**

Hojo scrambled backwards in an awkward crab scuttle on the floor. His glasses were precariously perched on the tip of his nose. He stared in abject horror at a face he never thought he would see again despite his desperate searching. It was the beautiful face of an avenging angel. Sephiroth stared upon his creator with angry, glowing green eyes. The gleam of the long sword in the teen's hand was slightly obscured by the blood of his assistants. Truly this was the sight of nightmares.

"Really, Hojo, how undignified," said a deep, dark chocolate voice from behind Sephiroth. The fear that was slowly taking over the scientist increased tenfold. Yet another experiment had come for him. Vincent Valentine was standing just behind the teenaged ex-experiment. His own crimson eyes glowed eerily. "It's has been sixteen years since that time in the mansion. Do you remember, Hojo?" He aimed his Quick Silver straight at the scientist's forehead.

"Val… Valentine…" Hojo stuttered.

"Ah good, you do remember," Vincent said smugly. "I'm so glad."

The crunch of broken glass beneath heavy boots sounded from behind Hojo. Another shadow and the Mako-glow of blue eyes fell upon him. He looked up and shuddered. He felt like he should know this person beyond the fact that he stole away Sephiroth. The blond stranger that took away everything crouched down over him. The smile upon his beautiful face made Hojo choke. "You, like everyone else, was given a second chance. But you wasted it, again. Tsk, tsk," he clucked like a mother scolding her child. "You were brilliant but I will not tolerate your madness any longer. Where is Jenova?"

"Yes, where is she, Hojo? Her voice is getting louder and more annoying," Sephiroth said. "Where is the Calamity?"

Hojo's breath hitched. Sephiroth knew…

"Where is Jenova, Hojo?" Vincent repeated the blond man's question.

The blond leaned over to whisper loudly in the scientist's ear. "If you tell us now, your death will not be as painful. But if you make us search this entire building for her… well, let's just say that any pain these two will give you will intensify because I'll join in the fun. Where is Jenova?" His hand came down to grip Hojo's shoulder. His fingers dug into flesh and down to bone with a wet, squelching sound. Hojo screamed. "Hurry, hurry, I have little patience today. I really do hate being in Midgar; it makes me _irritable_." At the last word the blond clenched onto Hojo's shoulder harder to dig his fingers deeper. This time his scream had a strangled quality to it.

"Really, you're making it harder than it has to be," Sephiroth informed him with disturbing nonchalance. "I can and will rip apart the entire Shinra building to get to her." He smiled feral-like. "She's been so annoying, buzzing in my ear hour after hour. Time to swat the fly, don't you think?"

Hojo whimpered.

Vincent sighed in annoyance. "It appears he will not tell us," he intoned in a falsely disappointed voice. He took quick aim and shot Hojo's left kneecap. The blond let go of the scientist's shoulder. Hojo squealed like a stuck pig and clutched wildly at his shattered knee. He rolled back and forth on his back, screaming in agony at the older swordsman's feet. "It looks like you'll have to search her out after all, Cloud."

"Aa, so it would seem. You and Sephiroth have… fun now."

Sephiroth's grin was maniacal and almost reminded Cloud of him in the last life he lived. But the blond dismissed the notion. "Oh yes, Mr. Vincent and I will have some fun bonding moments, don't you think?" Sephiroth said with child-like glee.

Cloud's lips twitched upward in an almost-smirk. "Sure thing, kiddo." He stood up and kicked at the weeping Hojo. He left the lab in search of Jenova. It was time to silence her once and for all. He was going to enjoy this.

Vincent reloaded his gun. "Now then, let's have a nice conversation," he said.

"Yes, let's." Sephiroth flicked his blade to get rid of the blood. He wanted just Hojo's blood on it now.

Hojo screamed.

**000**

Cloud stopped in front of the holding tank. So Jenova's tank had been up a floor from where it had been in his old life. Ah well, all that Hojo-torture for nothing…. Or not. He could hear her angry mutterings flow into his mind. Cloud effortlessly ignored the words and her poisonous influence. It had been shockingly easy to teach Sephiroth how to block her. "Hello, Jenova," he said. He smiled darkly.

Jenova screeched incoherently in his mind.

"Now, now." Cloud put a gloved hand against the viewing glass of the tank in mock tenderness. "It'll finally be over, Jenova. I'll send your life energy back into the stars and far away from the Lifestream so as not to taint it. Maybe I'll even send you into the sun." He stepped closer to the tank, almost pressing his body against it. "You'll burn and disappear and all that will be left are the dead cells within my and Sephiroth's body. Every single one of his clones had been destroyed by yours truly so no hope of resurrection. You can't come back if you can't influence any possessor of your cells."

The Calamity gurgled her protests.

Cloud smirked and flexed his fingers against the glass. The inside of the tank lit up like blue lightning. And all that he, and probably Sephiroth, heard was Jenova's final, death squeal. "Good-bye Jenova." He walked away from the now empty tank.

**000**

Sephiroth paused his downward stroke at the muffled mind-shriek from Jenova. He looked down at the barely breathing Hojo and stepped back. "The final blow is yours, Mr. Vincent," he said. "I grow tired of this game." He took out a cloth and began to wipe away the blood on it.

Vincent shrugged and fired one last, fatal bullet into the scientist. Hojo passed on into the afterlife. The gunslinger reloaded and holstered his gun. "I'll destroy all of Hojo's notes and research. The Turks won't be coming to check here anytime soon, I assure you."

"I trust you on that, Mr. Ex-Turk."

"I'm not denying it, am I?"

Sephiroth looked at the older man and smirked. "No, you're not." He sheathed his sword. "You know, Cloud's going to get me a new sword. He says it's called Masamune."

"Oh?" Vincent inquired from Hojo's master console. The clicking of computer keys filled the air.

"Yes, I keep on breaking all of my other swords. I'm surprised this one has lasted as long as it has."

"Go find him then. I have no wish to stay in Midgar any longer than I have to. Besides, I'm quite sure young Zack is getting bored."

"Yes." Sephiroth smiled softly at the thought of seeing Zack again. The younger boy was always good for a game and some laughter. "I'll go find Cloud now. Besides…"

"What?"

"I still haven't found out all of his secrets."

Vincent looked up to make eye contact with Sephiroth. "Something tells me that we have the rest of eternity to find out," he said.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

Zack woke up because someone was shaking him really hard. Panicked cries made his ears ring. He cracked his eyes open to look at his anxious caretaker from Fort Condor. The nondescript man was wringing his hands now that the boy's eyes were open.

"Your eyes!" he cried loudly.

"Huh?" Zack sat up and shook his head. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I… I found you in a pool of Mako. MAKO! And now your eyes are glowing. Do you have Mako poisoning? Oh god, Mr. Strife is going to kill me! You have Mako poisoning!" The caretaker's arms waved about erratically. Zack instinctively ducked. "I'm so dead!" he moaned.

"I'm not poisoned," Zack said with a sigh. He stood up. "Let's go back. I'm hungry."

"Eh?! But--"

"FEED ME!" the boy bellowed. His caretaker squealed and scurried to his feet. He led the way back to Fort Condor. 'Now I'll live forever with Uncle Cloud,' Zack thought to himself. He smiled. "This'll be fun, right Miss Aeris?"

**000**

At Icicle Village, little Aeris Gast sneezed and blinked. She shrugged and went back to her coloring book. Oh look, this puppy needs spots…

**000**

Cloud walked into the dilapidated Sector Six church. The flowers that had been there a lifetime ago were not growing at all now. Still the blond swordsman stared at the bare patch of dirt with memory-glazed eyes. He clutched a packet of seeds and stepped into the dirt. The immortal was oblivious to his companions' stares. He knelt down and started poking holes and dropping seeds.

"What is he doing?" Sephiroth whispered to Vincent. They had been watching Cloud for an hour now since the blond man had not wanted the two to help him. He had muttered something about sins of all things.

The gunslinger shrugged. "Giving Midgar a second chance, perhaps," he replied. "Look." He pointed at the sight of Cloud summoning forth a bit of Lifestream. The soft, glowing green tendrils caressed the blond man and sunk back into the ground. "Let there be life here in this desolate place." The seeds sprouted and a carpet of tiny, green seedlings covered the once barren dirt.

"Life in a place like this…" Sephiroth looked at the church interior. "Maybe it's appropriate that new life begins in a holy place, almost poetic. Is Cloud a god?"

"No, I think he is a man."

"With too many secrets…" the teen grumbled.

Vincent smiled behind his crimson cowl. "He wouldn't be as interesting without them." The gunslinger twitched his clawed, golden, gauntlet-bound fingers. "And I have my secrets too."

"Don't we all?" Sephiroth murmured.

**000**

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

**000**

Aeris Gainsbourgh smiled from her perch in the rafters of her old church from a lifetime ago. Ah, Cloud certainly was sentimental. But she liked the soft smile on his face. That was how he should look like all the time. Perhaps now, he had finally forgiven the last of his self-imposed sins. She glanced over at her beloved Zack. "He looks happy," she said softly to him.

The first Zack Fair nodded in satisfaction. "It's about time. I'm glad he doesn't have a grudge." He paused for a moment and then grinned widely. "Isn't cute that he adopted Seph and my new self?" he asked.

"Your new self is a little hellion."

"I know. I'm so proud."

Aeris sighed and rolled her eyes. Men…

**000**

The great and powerful Merciful Goddess from another world away smiled at her viewing pond. "So, he's made good use of the rebirth," she said. She shifted in her throne. "He is quite entertaining, that pet of mine. And he's made himself a little posse too. Maybe the next time I need an errand done, I'll ask them. Really now, what an adorable group of miscreants, just like my boys here." The goddess laughed to herself. "Now then, speaking of my boys, I wonder what mischief that particular foursome has gotten themselves into this time." Her god-servant just sighed and went to get his master some tea. The Merciful Goddess, known as Kanzeon Bosatsu in her world, changed the channel.

**000**

Dark feathers, black as midnight, littered the halls. They blazed a trail almost invisible in the flickering lights. Spidery cracks along the way added to the gloomy atmosphere as did the crumbling ceiling. There were no doors save for the one at the beginning of the hall and at the end. Light streamed out from the bottom of the end door. A hand reached out and pushed the door open. And the light, cold despite its brightness, burst out.

Then the cold faded and an even better future began.

Cloud smiled.

**_000 End 000_**

Is this the true end? Maybe... maybe not. XD I'm off to study now. Exam tomorrow... XP


End file.
